Tonight, I had the distinct pleasure to watch the first ever episode of the Jabbo & Crabbo show. This show is hosted by Katheryn & Guiesseppe Jones of Synchronis.tv . Tonight featured a sculptor named Marla Mclaine and singer songwriter Sheri Miller . A live streaming slide show of Marla’s work was played during the show using a program called CamTwist for the Mac.

The Jabbo & Crabbo show is going to be featuring artists from across the web and across all genres, and teaching us ways in which we can leverage new media and web 2.0 applications to gain viewership for our art.

The web is bringing more and more opportunities to artists of all types. Web 2.0 tools such as podcasting, and live streaming have unlimited potential for writers, actors, sculptor, and woodturners alike. In fact tonights featured artist Marla Mclaine will be featured in a live exhibit. I asked "Why not stream the event to the web?" this only seems logical to me as the potential is infinite. More people who want access to your work will be able to gain access, and a strugglig artist can begin to flourish.

Katheryn said during the show "Many artists are ignoring the technology to spite their face " I agree with her 100%. Folks, as artists I know "Marketing & PR" are often baaaaaaad words, but the fact is this "If you dont get your work out there…No one will see it! " Don’t be afraid to show your work, pull your head out of the sand and get in touch with the good folks at the Jabbo & Crabbo show and get yourself some pub!

Jabbo & Crabbo show airs each Monday evening at 9:15 EST. Check em out!

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I have found the coolest tool for dynamic artistic presentations through the use of a tool called Animoto. Today I was listening to Net at Night, a part of Leo Laporte’s Twit network of programming and they interviewed the founder of one of the coolest new photo applications out there today.

Animoto is a tool that allows you to upload pictures along with a DRM free MP3 file and it will create an awesome dynamic presentation of your photo’s to the beat and tempo of the music. The program offers the ability to set your photos in motion in a way only the best audiophiles and videographers could in the past.

Check out Animoto’s home page and look at the sample that they offer, it will have you sold immediately. Here are some of the features and possibilities I can see for the artist, not to mention the amateur photographer or home user.

1. Use animoto for client presentations of your art. If you have potential client that you think might enjoy a dynamic presentation of your portfolio, use animoto to set up a quick presentation of your work.

2. Use an animoto video as your “Purple Cow” at an art show booth. The “Purple Cow” is a metaphor made up by author and Blogger Seth Godin that teaches you to have something that catches peoples attention. One of these videos playing at your booth will grab people and keep them there!!

3. Use an animoto video for web promotion on YouTube, a Blog, or in Facebook. Animoto has a facebook application!

4. Use an animoto video for family and friends. Sick of trying to explain what you do? Pop out the laptop and show em’ what you do in an exciting quick way that will get them asking questions and piquing interest.

5. Lastly, animoto could be used to build SEO to your website, it can be used in on stage presentations, or just used as a tool for the hobbiest.

Let me know what you think of the tool. I will be trying it out in the next few days and posting it here to my blog. So subscribe through RSS and be sure to check back in the coming days In fact Animoto has even given me a referer code that you can enter for $5 off any of their premium services that they offer for full length feature videos. The code is —- onxpbuhf —- type the code in when the service prompts you and you get the $5 off or use this link DISCOUNT ..easy weezy!! Enjoy!!

Keith Burtis

I got so excited about the service - Here is my firs short Length Video!

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About two months ago, I met myself. I mean I met Richard Merritt, the west coast version of myself. Richard and I met on Twitter and have been swapping email and tweets back and forth ever since. Richard is an amazing woodturner and has graciously sent me one of the finest pencils I have ever laid eyes on.

I want to thank Richard for his amazing work of art and i will cherish it forever. Richard has aptly named it the attraction pencil. What ever I write …I will attract. That is a beautiful thing. So check out Richard’s work and please let him know that I sent you.

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Yesterday afternoon, I did for me what could be called an internet first. I streamed live video content to the internet of my woodturning.it was really a great experience, and hopfully for my viewers as well. As all first live demo’s would go I got a piece of wood to turn all chucked up to my lathe and after just a few minutes of turning found many flaws and craks in the wood. Now, if i wasn’t live i would have just taken the piece off the lathe and dealt with it at another time. However, I was live, a bit nrvous i guess and i had people watching me flub my way through this junky piece of wood. I persisted on for about ten minutes until I decided that I would just start over with a new piece of wood, and that piece turned beautifully.

This piece of Mara Wood turned like butter and a beautiful bowl resulted in the final finishing. My friend Kes Woodward was viewing me from Alaska, and ultimatly the bowl will be getting sent to him. Kes later sent me an email that summed the whole experience up for me. He said “I take the internet for granted sometimes, the things you can do….but I am sitting here 5000 miles away from you watching you turn a bowl that I will be getting from start to finish, thats pretty cool”

Well Kes, I agree with you. It is very cool. Kes is also no stranger to the internet space as he uses seesmic, blogging and Utterz, to show the progression of his paintings as he works on them. We are using the media in different ways, but we ultimatly are achievig similar results. You can check out Kes Woodward’s blog and the other folks that I know of that were in the room chatting with me here:

Kes Woodward
Blog, Artist, Painter from Alaska.

Scott Roche
General Musings of an intelligent, spiritual traveller.

Michael Falkner

Craig McCreath
Amazing Photographer, Videographer, Blogger

Thanks for checking it out folks. I’ll be doing another one soon. If you are interested in receiving regular schedule updates of my live streaming, or you are interested in finding out when I begin to Publish video in Podcast format. Ping me at Keith@magicwoodworks.com

Keith Burtis

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Today, the first thing I popped into me ear buds on my iPod was CC Chapman’s "Managing the Gray " podcast and he was talking about social meets up’s. Getting our lazy cans off skype, off the internet and getting together for some real face to face interaction. Now, I am no media veteran here, but I do know the value of getting together face to face and putting a real form to those you meet in the virtual world from my experience at Podcamp Toronto . Podcamp Toronto was one of the best weekends of my life. It culminated my "Social Miracle ", I got engaged to my long time girl friend Michelle, and I met friends that I know I will have forever! If you have not yet been to a podcamp, you have to check out the next one I will be attending, and thats Podcamp Boston 3 . I have been waiting for the announcement since the last day of Podcamp Toronto and it’s finally been announced. Register and Information HERE .

You’ll notice after going to the Podcamp Boston 3 page that this year Christopher S. Penn , and Chris Brogan along with the other podcamp Boston organizers have chosen to charge a nominal fee of $50 US to attend. I am not going to go into the reasons as this has been hashed out enough in the podosphere. All I will say is that I agree with what they are doing!

For the last two Podcamp Bostons’ CC Chapman of Accident Hash , Managing the Gray , One Guys Thoughts , Uturn Cafe , and The Advance Guard , has been a regular sponsor. The sponsorship CC provided costs $250.00 and this year he has decided to use the sponsorship money for something different. CC has decided that he would take the $250.00 and put that towards a scholarship for 5 deserving bloggers. The deal is that you first off listen to Managing the Grey! Secondly, write a blog post —- similar to this one recognizing CC’s podcast, blog and the challenge . The challenge will be run 1 per month for the five months leading to Podcamp Boston 3. The winners will be picked out of a hat or to CC’s discretion and he will pay for your ticket at Podcamp! What a great deal.

Now, as a newly engaged guy with large wedding bill staring me in the face, if I were to win the April contest I would not look a gift horse in the mouth. However, if I do win the April scholarship I will definitely be dawning a CC Chapman T-shirt of some kind! If I don’t, well hell I’ll still support the man and wear his schwag anyway!!

This I do know. CC Chapman has a heart of gold. I’d spend $200 bucks just to meet him as well as many other podosphere and blogosphere friends that I have made in the last year. CC’s podcasts have entertained, and educated me since the day I found this digital media and for that I thank him. If you are an artist, a blogger, podcaster, business person, or human…..you should be subscribing to everything CC puts out. I do and I am better for it.

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I have been thinking a lot lately about web 2.0 and it’s effectiveness for artists, artisians, and really anyone doing any kind of business or networking on the web. Most of you know that I am a fan of Twitter and I use this as my main source for networking, meeting others and generating "real" relationships.

However, this got me to thinking that in this day and age of "easy access" to almost anyone with any talent in a specific area, that we still tend to work on our own. As artists we often have the mentality that we need to work our butts off, keep our head to the grindstone, and work, work, work work.

Now I don’t know about you, but I suck at keeping books, updating databases, coming up with fresh marketing ideas, and really just staying on track! I am a creative person, I like to create new and exciting things and I don’t like doing the monotenous chores like book keeping, and sales tracking. Unfortunately, the fact still remains that if I don’t do these things I might as well watch my small business circle the toilet eventually to be flushed in the crapper.

So this is where my thoughts lead to teaming up, a strategic group, or what is often called a mastermind group . Now, a group of friends whether it’s virtual or off-line cannot necessarily take these loads off of you shoulders, but they can provide useful resources, as well as support and tough love when it’s needed.

So here is what I am proposing to you the reader,and anyone else that might be finding themselves in the same type of situation I am in. "Start an Internetworking group"  It is a cross between web 2.0, mastermind groups, and traditional networking. Use things like twitter and facebook to generate friends of like interests. Develop relationships with people and invite them to join your "Internetworking group" Try to find people with diverse backgrounds and who’s personalities and strengths compliment your own. Think of your group like a puzzle of people who’s talents interlock to form a complete picture. I would think the group could be anywhere from three to six people. The goal of the individuals should allign wth the goal of the group. The goal of the group may be as simple as each person growing their business by 25% each quarter. The idea here is to grow with each other and the individuals will bring with them experiences that they can share with the group. The group can then share their experiences with the world through a shared blog or podcast. One person may be an accounting expert, the other may have a constant stream of creative ideas, while anther may be a internet coding whiz. Again, the key is to put together a group of individuals who are passionate about what they do and passionate about helping others.

Start your own "Internetworking Group" today. Grow your business honestly, and help each other in the process. Take your hundreds or even thousands of web 2.0 friends and boil them down to a select few with aligning goals. Make a difference in yourself, the group and the landscape around you. Change your paradigm of "I’ll do it on my own" to "I’ll do it in a team" and take action.

I f you are interested in joining the group I am putting together. Please send me an email . I would love to hear from you. Remember, everyone has something to add!

Some Cool web 2.0 tools you can use to help with "Internetworking Groups"

WordPress Blog - Use as a multi-user blog to share with yourselves or the world.

ooVoo - Video Chat with multiple users "Brady Bunch Style"

Skype - Individual or multi user chat VOIP interface.

Ustream.TV - a video presentation can be given while other members are in the chat room providing feedback.

Talkshoe - Multi user call in system that can be used for a group podcast, brain dumping.

These are just a few examples, and please let me know if you have others. I would love your comments and feedback.

Keith Burtis

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